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| Candidassa, a beachside village with a Big heart. |
Candidassa used to be a village that was far from the maddening crowd. It still is, only that it is quieter now, somewhat forlorn like a hero fallen from grace.
Yet, as the hero that would not die, he picked himself up and continue to show gaiety and strength. It is because of its not-die attitude, Candidassa is luring tourists to its long-alluring stretch of cafes and warungs along the beach. And also, the village has some of Bali's greenest and aesthetically landscaped resort and spa center.
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| Ari Homestay. |
I did not know about Candidassa. That was usually how I travel. I will not know a place until I stumbled upon them. Either some locals told me a place and I would go or over some strange but amazing encounter, I will discover the places. All these lovely places never fail to astound me. One of which is Candidassa.
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| A resort hotel that is sprawling with serenity and bliss. |
I was on the small tour van that picked me up from Amed ( another beachside village on the North Eastern side of Bali, I went to Amed, like my usual travel style, because a local Balinese told me about it - this story, another time). Our destination was Ubud. From Amed to Ubud, it will take about 2 hours. En route, the van, with some passengers, stopped by the Perama Bus Office to check on some administration. The van-driver told us to alight and stretch ourselves or go use the toilet while he checked if there were other passengers to pick up to Ubud.
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| I have no shorts, so went out with my sarong. |
I came down from the van and immediately felt the soothing breeze. I looked around and found that the place was quaint. The breeze was soft, the palm trees lining the walkway was swaying gently, the traffic was slow, I could see a few people lazing out in the shades on their sampans. Little push-cart stalls selling Bakso and sate. Still, it was quiet. As if, the whole world had traveled to Mars and back twice, and they are still lying there in their sarongs, in their sampan, thinking of nothingness.
I like that. I just like it a lot. Somehow, I felt I like to know this place, I like to feel it, rather that just passing it by to go to Ubud. So, I asked the driver what place that was. That was when I knew the little village close to the sea is called Candidassa.
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| Clean room, attached bath. |
Just right opposite the road where the van stopped, there was Ari Homestay. The driver told me that was a good place to inquire for a night's stay. I just said ok, told the driver that I decided to stay in Candidassa and I will take the van to Ubud the next day. That was when I learned that Perama buses allow passengers to have a stopover at the places en route to their respective destinations. No extra charges when they pick you up one or a few days later. You board with the same ticket to your stated destination.
That was great. I thought. And checked in immediately into Ari Homestay, which I found out that it only cost me Rp80,000 (RM28) for a room with a double bed and attached bathroom. The owner, who is Australian with a Balinese wife, happily told me that the room came with a Big Breakfast. so, what is this big breakfast all about? Beaming, he said he is cooking the breakfast himself and it will have sausage, eggs, bread, tomatoes, cheese and beans. I just love Candidassa and the people there, small village, Big heart, Big breakfast.
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| Having Big Breakfast on the upper patio in front of my room. |
Candidassa used to be a very popular tourist beach destination in the North Eastern side of Bali, but since diving and sea sport are made popular in Amed, Candidassa seems to have taken a back seat. Nevertheless, it is one of the sweetest village I have been in Bali.
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| The entrance to the spa where I had a great aromatherapy massage. |
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| Guest waiting area for the spa treatment. |
Throw in a 2-hour aromatherapy massage, facial and body scrub, flower bath and foot bath, all for a mere RM120 (USD40), I was drown in everything beautiful and spiked in perpetual bliss.
